For those who are wondering, the incumbent claimant to the Throne of Iraq, given that the Republic has failed, would be either Prince Ra'ad bin Zeid (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ra%27ad_bin_Zeid) or his son, Prince Zied bin Ra'ad (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeid_Ra%E2%80%99ad_Zeid_Al-Hussein), onetime Ambassador to the USA, and Jordan's Permanent Ambassador to the UN. As the Kingdom was abolished by a Coup, which saw the advent of the Republic of Iraq, obviously with the demise of the Republic, the Kingdom could equally be seen as legitimate (especially with the help of most of the Security Council). The problematic Sunni section of Iraq, would then be under a legitimate ruler, who could quite probably be prevailed upon to allow the Kurd's to declare their autonomy & Statehood.

As the Dynasty is also the Legitimate Ruler's of Syria, they are seriously unlikely to get on well with the al-Saad regime, nor are they likely, given the history, to allow terrorists to operate from their soil (NB Black September). As descendant's of the Prophet, they would have every bit as much religious support from the Sunni as the Al-Sadr's have from the Shi'ah.

As to the Russian support for the Caliphate, actions talk louder than words I'm afraid. Supplying SAM's & advanced ATGM's to Iran, a fact many choose to ignore, demonstrates the Russian mindset. Israel (or other western Countries) supplying weapons to Georgia to use against Russia, is about the only bargaining chip available to stop the supply of weapons to a demonstrably evil regime. Strangling Iran by reducing the flow of weapons, from North Korea & Russia, while engaging it on 3 fronts, seems almost like a prelude to a preemptive strike of some sort (if one were paranoid enough to believe in such behavior)...

Aaron.. any regime is only as 'legitimate' as the power it can call upon to stay there.

I note with interest the recent development in South Lebanon, controlled by Hizbollah... where a very dejected looking Walid Jumblat declared the Druze will support Hizbollah, for reasons he outlined.

http://www.jpost.com/home/article.aspx?id=204765 'pressure'

//He told members of his party that insisting on Hariri as the country's new prime minister would lead to "catastrophic consequences" for the security of the Druse party, himself, and the Druse population in Hizbullah-controlled areas.// rather says it all.

Short-term, most assuredly... The options of the Druze population are extremely limited, support the Cedar Revolution & get killed in their bed by Hezbollah, or remove support for the same and be ignored by Hezbollah. Unfortunately, the media isn't interested in the terror and murder inflicted continually by these organisations, it isn't news unless Israel or the US are involved (well, from one view, it isn't news, terrorists are people who use terror to achieve their aims).

If the gutless terrorist loving media would only look at what is going on presently in Lebanon - Hezbollah is threatening to take over the Country if they are indicted by the International Court for the car bomb that killed the President of Lebanon. Not only is that an admission of guilt, but a flat out statement that they have no interest in answering for their actions (kind of ironic given their supporter's want everyone else to answer for theirs, no?)...

A government, a Nation, a member of the UN, held to ransom by terrorists, who do as they please and threaten to destroy everything if they are held to account? A better picture of Hezbollah and the evil it represents could not be drawn. Yet these are the cowards that are given enormous attention when they draw the ire of other nation states who have no intention of being held to ransom. Lebanon could be free of them, but it would take intestinal fortitude of an order they haven't shown to date.

What a truly pompous, arrogant, misinformed bunch you are. You are doing exactly what France and Britain did post WWI divvying up the Middle East to the advantage of the West. Ensuring that there will be divisions between Arab countries for decades to come exactly what Bush and Blair envisaged when they illegally invaded Iraq. Have a bunch of armchair generals finished or do we have to put up with more nonsense and wet dreams from bloodthirsty, ignorant, arrogant racist?

ULIS was that a self description?
You do not have to put up with anything.
But in the west you are free to think as you wish, so too are we.

Of course ULIS disgusting statements reveal the OTHER side of the same coin which he criticizes.......i.e.. Sectarian Arab Shia political interests which give absolutely ZERO consideration for the racist suffering inflicted on the Druze and Christians in Southern Lebanon by Hezbollah.

Thanks Ulis.. at least we know where YOU stand.

So..Ulis.. you've chosen your side.."Imperialist Iran and it's proxy Syria and Hezbollah"

We have ours "Western interests and our proxy the non Shia lebanese."

6 of one, half dozen of the other.